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Al Roker Pokes Fun at John Travolta’s Beret Obsession on ‘Today’: ‘Oui Oui Monsieur’
Al Roker had a little fun at John Travolta‘s expense during the Wednesday, May 20 episode of the Today show, after the actor’s bold beret fashion choices made waves at the Cannes Film Festival last week.
After Willie Geist wrapped up an interview with John, 72, and his daughter, Ella, 26, the show cut to a split screen — John in a black beret on one side and Roker sporting a white one on the other, as reported by Page Six.
“Oui oui monsieur,” Roker, 71, quipped, per the outlet, prompting John to tell him to “go for it.”
The NBC personality then leaned all the way in. “I’m being directed by an award-winning director. I like it!” Roker joked. “What’s my motivation, John?”
John and Ella were on the Today show to promote Propeller One-Way Night Coach, the Oscar-nominated actor’s directorial debut, which is based on his 1997 children’s novel of the same name. Ella plays a flight attendant in the film.
As In Touch previously reported, at the movie’s premiere in Cannes on Friday, May 15, John turned heads with a slouchy white beret and spectacles. He followed it up with a black beret at the film’s photocall on Saturday, May 16, and later rocked a brown beret on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, per the outlet.
On the Today show, John explained his headwear strategy to Geist, 51. “I said, ‘You know what, I’m making a directorial debut,’ and if you look up on the internet, ‘directors and berets,’ every era for 100 years has directors wearing berets,” he said, per Page Six. “I thought, ‘Well, I’m not an actor this time, I’m a director. Show up like a director.’ So I did that and that’s really the simplicity of it.”
John was also presented with an honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes on Friday, May 15 — the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award. Ella has been by her dad’s side promoting the film throughout. John welcomed Ella with late wife, Kelly Preston, who died of breast cancer at age 57 in 2020. The couple also shared son Jett, who died at age 16 in 2009, and son Benjamin, 15.
